Gov. Jan Brewer is upset over Secretary Clinton's statement that the U.S. Justice Dept. plans to file a lawsuit against Arizona's new immigration law. The Justice Dept. later said no decision has been made.

(CNN) - Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer is fuming over a comment by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to an Ecuadorean television station that the government will file a lawsuit against Arizona's new immigration law.

In a statement Thursday, Brewer said she learned of plans for the lawsuit from the June 8 interview Clinton gave to NTN24.

According to a transcript of the interview, Clinton said that President Barack Obama had spoken out against the law because he believes the federal government should set immigration policy.

"And the Justice Department, under his direction, will be bringing a lawsuit against the act," Clinton said in the interview.

On Thursday, a Justice Department spokesperson said no final decision had been made on the matter.

"The department continues to review the law," said the spokesperson, Tracy Schmaler.

Brewer's statement said she was "stunned and angered" by Clinton's statement that a lawsuit would be filed.

soundoff(233 Responses)

Hendrik

I live in Arizona and "our" government can be stunned and angered all she wants. Every action has an opposite and equal reaction. Are you surprised your stupid fake blond headed fool? Keep up your political grandstanding in the state. You don't have to because you have the right wing vote all locked up.

June 17, 2010 08:30 pm at 8:30 pm |

snow

Well we see nobummer is to big a coward to even announce he is planning to challenge Arizona's immigration law. Another policy favored by the vast majority of Americans that nobummer does not listen to. 2012 cannot get here fast enough to get rid of this clown.

June 17, 2010 08:33 pm at 8:33 pm |

once upon a horse

why tie the courts up with useless lawsuits? Just keeps the lawyers making money at taxpayers' expense. Sorry Hillary, I normally support you but NOT on this one.

June 17, 2010 08:37 pm at 8:37 pm |

William

I have heard illegals are leaving AZ in droves ahead of the implementation of new immigration law. If that is true then AZ will see a commensurate drop in the billions of $$ sucked out of their budget each year to provide services to these individuals. I think then other states will see the benefit and adobt similar measures. CA could save billions. I am all for peopke coming here, there is a right way and I have no sympathy for those entering illegally. Wake up America!

June 17, 2010 08:46 pm at 8:46 pm |

AZ Senior

That makes two of us. I too was stunned and angered by you signing this bill into law, Gov. Brewer

June 17, 2010 08:48 pm at 8:48 pm |

Obama the liar

the last agenda of the Obama regime is upholding the Constitution.

June 17, 2010 08:49 pm at 8:49 pm |

John

Pretty simple.....illegal immigration is down by almost 200% since the 2nd of 2 Bush recessions decimated the country's employment opportunities.....a few farmers have been attacked on the border....Arizona can call their own nationall guardsmen if the situation is so bad....so why don't they call them?..........................if this was a real emergency........unfortunately it is merely a political stunt.

June 17, 2010 08:56 pm at 8:56 pm |

Tom

If the Federal Government would actually enforce the law, there wouldn't be a need for additional ones to be passed.

How about anyone in the country illegally is NOT entitled to free legal services for their deportation hearings? Sieze EVERYTHING they thought they owned, and give the illegal to the responsible embassy for them to pay for the removal of them, and thus would be banned from the US (excpet for the trip to the international airport to get rid of them) for 20 years, and never afforded the opportunity for US citizenship.

The whole world bad mouths us, yet they are all trying to break in, we need to defend against it, with force if necessary. No law enforcement individual should ever be prosecuted for anything they are forced to do in the apprehension or repulsion of an illegal from the USA.

June 17, 2010 09:04 pm at 9:04 pm |

jeb b

you have the cartels practically running the country of mexico they are ambushing the mexican army. this madness needs to stop. they have invaded new mexico, at will and the gov't their said well its a federal gov't problem. the backlog drug lords in houston and around texas and the gov. perry says its ok down here. but arizona stands up and says enough. stand your ground gov. brewer they just don't get it. the majority of the people in this country says they are w/ you. they are demanding we speak spanish and the whole 9......... its time to shut the border down. pronto

June 17, 2010 09:08 pm at 9:08 pm |

Dave

"the department continues to review the law"....WHAT?????? Its 10 pages long? You passed a 2500 page behemoth health care bill without reading the damn thing!!! How long does it take you to review a 10 page law.....Oh wait...when you say review the law do you actually mean, you are calculating the political ramifications of filing suit against a law that the majority of Americans support and that largely only tells local authorities that they have the right to turn in illegal immigrants to federal authorities???? Is that what you mean by "review the law"??? Trying to decide if it is politically prudent?

June 17, 2010 09:08 pm at 9:08 pm |

Victoria

File the lawsuit.

June 17, 2010 09:14 pm at 9:14 pm |

thor

Can't this adminisration get it's people on the same page?The Justice Department and the Secretary of the State should at least be aware of what policy is going to be.

June 17, 2010 09:16 pm at 9:16 pm |

ib

another stupid move by this joke we have as president. I hope it gets thrown out of court if they pull this. Disgusting president.

June 17, 2010 09:21 pm at 9:21 pm |

Pam

What a hag. Don't try to tell me she did not see this coming. How could she be "stunned and angered" unless she has been living in a vacumn?
None of us wants to see jobs go to illeagals that Americans want and deserve but go after the employers. We need to fix real immigration reform now on a Federal level not a State level.

June 17, 2010 09:35 pm at 9:35 pm |

Buddy Gilmour

Looks like the civil rights movement part 2. Need to send in the National Guard to remind Arizona that they are just one state in 50 and cannot run roughshod over everything and everybody.

June 17, 2010 09:37 pm at 9:37 pm |

TheBoss

Why is Gov Brewer stunned and angered as if this should be a surprise to her? Didn't the Attorney General mentioned about a month or so ago that the law will be challenged? Why is she so surprise?

June 17, 2010 09:42 pm at 9:42 pm |

Debbie from Arizona

This is a perfect picture of our unelected Republican Governor. First, the illegal immigrant law, then the banning of ethnic classes in our schools and now this idiot Republican from Mesa wants to change the 14th Amendment. I've been an Arizona citizen since I was stationed here in 1978 at Ft. Huachuca. I love Arizona, but the Republicans who have controlled our state legislature and the two Republican Senators we have in Congress, all need to go. Vote Democrate, we need to turn Arizona Blue.

June 17, 2010 09:44 pm at 9:44 pm |

Marcus

Mrs. Gov. Jan Brewer,
Besides blackmailing the police force of your state into doing their job and uphold this law as well (or they will be sued and fined) this law has many flaws, the most obvious is that it WILL lead to RACIAL PROFILING.
In the case you haven't read about it, RACIAL PROFILING is illegal.
Force a group of US citizens to walk 24/7 with any kind of 'proofs' of their citizenship but not others is, simply put, against the 'All are equal to the Law', because you create a separate category of citizens that are affected by that law WITHOUT HAVING COMMITTING NO CRIME but the one of being 'NOT AMERICAN ENOUGH' to the eyes of any police officer.
Unfortunately, we all know that there are some individuals that are not worth of the respect that the badge they carry brings along. And instead of combating this individuals YOU are giving them the excuse they want/need to do what shames their badges.
You are helping the RACISM in your State, Mrs. Governor.
And since you seem to don't care about it...
Somebody, legally and Constitutionally entitled to, has to do your job.

June 17, 2010 09:44 pm at 9:44 pm |

The watcher

This woman brewer looks like a DEMON. full of hatred. Look at her face!!!

June 17, 2010 09:46 pm at 9:46 pm |

Anonymous

Who cares what this woman thinks? Did she and the state of Arizona contact the Attorney General of the United Sates before voting on their states law?
Immigration is not a state's issue, its a a federal issue. Arizona should have gone to the Justice dept. before voting and passing a law like this.

June 17, 2010 09:48 pm at 9:48 pm |

Rob Dean

Of course Hillary would do such a dumb stunt! She is actually loving all the heat Obama is getting and is waiting for her place in the 2012 election! She will resign as SOS in plenty of time to run against Obama! She and Bill have their plans all made.

June 17, 2010 10:03 pm at 10:03 pm |

A Troll

AZ should sue the govt. for failure to enforce the immigration laws on the books. Baring that, AZ should round up all the illegals that run afoul of the law and bus them all to DC. Flood the Capitol with them and then see what the opinion becomes.

I am all for immigration, but it needs to be done lawfully. And too much of what AZ is facing is criminal elements looking to exploit our vulnerabilities.

June 17, 2010 10:13 pm at 10:13 pm |

really?

ummm, I knew the justice department would file suit the day you signed the law. This is no surprise.

June 17, 2010 10:14 pm at 10:14 pm |

Capt. Snarky

.Gov doesn't want to push this over that edge, as that will resolve the issue, and their "Get the Latino Vote" wave will recede............

Not to mention that it will bring clarity to the fact that it mirrors .Gov's own law and the the fact that the Obama administration is ignoring it's constitutional mandate to enforce the nation's immigration laws.

June 17, 2010 10:18 pm at 10:18 pm |

Rick

A few weeks ago the Governor was on tv saying Mr. President bring it on, well Governor he is and you better be ready. Be careful what you wish for because it might come true. GO OBAMA!!!!!